Wardrobe for hanging and/or storing garments



p 1957 s. P. BELSINGER WARDROBE FOR HANGING AND/OR STORING GARMENTS Filed Feb. 16, 1956' ATTORNEYS WARDROBE FOR HANGING AND/OR STORING GARMENTS Samuel P. Belsinger, Atlanta, Ga., assignor to Belsinger, Inc., Atlanta, Ga., a corporation of Georgia Application February 16, 1956, Serial No. 565,989

3 Claims. (Cl. 206-7) The invention relates to new and useful improvements in an upright wardrobe container for hanging or for storing garments which container normally stands on one of its ends and wherein access is had to the space within the container through an opening in one of the side walls thereof.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 557,400, filed January 4,

1956, now abandoned.

An object of the invention is to provide a container of the above type wherein the access opening is formed by a swinging section of one of the body wall panels and wherein an adjacent panel has an integral abutment strip for limiting the closing movement of the swinging section.

A further object is to provide a container of the above type wherein the front panel is divided between the top and the bottom ends thereof to provide an upper swinging panel section which when in open position provides an access opening and which when in closed position makes contact with a strip formed integral with an adjacent side panel for-limiting the inward swinging movement of said panel section.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container of the above construction with a hanger rod extending from one side of the container to the opposite side thereof for supporting hangers for garments placed in the container.

These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawingswhich show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention: 1

Figure l is a plan view of a blank cut and scored to form front, back and side panels and an abutment strip, which blank when assembled forms the body of the container and also end flaps for forming the bottom and top closures for the container.

' Figure 2 is a perspective viewof a container formed from the blank shown in Figure l in partly assembled condition and ready for packing.

. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the same container in fully assembled or closed position ready for shipment.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view midway the height of the container and looking down into the container.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of the top of the container and showing a portion of a garment hanger and the manner of attaching the same to a side .wall of the container.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one end of the garment hanger and showing the supporting bracket therefor.

The invention has to do with a container preferably made from a single blank of fiber board. The blank is cut and scored so as to provide when assembled side and rear panels which are integrally connected, and a front panel which is integrally connected with one of the side panels and overlaps or abuts a narrow strip formed integral with the other side panel. The front panel is divided between its ends into an upper section and a lower section.

The lower section is rigidly secured to said abutment strip and the upper section hinges'on the side panel to which it is integrally connected and'contacts the abutment strip when in closed position.

Each panel has integral flaps at its lower end and at its upper end. The flaps attached to the lower ends of the panels are lapped and secured together so as to provide a rigid bottom on which the container rests during packing and shipping or storing. At the upper ends of the panels the side flaps and the rear flap are folded to overlapped relation and secured to form a partial closure and the flap carried by the swinging panel section is secured to the other top flaps when the container is packed and ready for shipment.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank preferably of corrugated board which has been cut and scored ready to be assembled into a container. The score lines 10 and 11 are the vertical fold lines setting off a side panel 12 of the container. The score lines 11 and 13 form the vertical fold lines for the rear panel 14. In like manner the score lines 13 and 15 set off the other side panel 16 and the score line 15 sets off the front panel 17. Thisfront panel 17 is cut to provide upper and lower panel sections 19 and 20, illustratively by the horizontal line 18. Extending the full length of the side panel 12 is a narrow strip 21. The score line 10 serves as a fold line for the strip 21.

Extending from side to side is a score line 22 which forms the upper ends of the panels and also sets off top end flaps 23, 24, 25 and 26. These flaps are separated from each other by cut lines 29.

Also extending from side to side of the blank is'a score line 22* which forms the lower ends of the panels and also sets off the bottom flaps 30, 31, 32 and 33. These flaps are separated from each other by the cut lines 34.

The prepared blanks are preferably sent to the customer who assembles the container when it is desired for use. The side panels 12 and 16 are placed at right angles to the rear panels 14. The narrow strip 21 is swung on the fold line 10 until it is at right angles to the side panel 12.

The lower section 20 of the front panel 17 is swung on its fold line 15 until it laps and contacts the narrow abutment strip 21. It is stitched or otherwise rigidly secured to said strip 21. The flaps 30 and 32 are folded into a common plane and then the flaps 31 and 33 are folded against the same and all of the flaps are stitched or otherwise secured together to-form a rigid bottom closure on which the container rests during packing and shipping or storing.

The flaps 23 and 25 at the upper end of the panels are folded into a common plane and the rear flap 24 folded down against them and stitched or otherwise secured to make a rigid partial closure for the container. The upper swinging section 19 is swung to open position as shown in Figure 2 and the container is thus made ready for use. After the container is filled to the desired extent the upper panel section is swung to closed position as shown in Figure 3. The swinging panel section contacts the narrow strip 21 which limits its inward swing. The swinging panel section may be held in closed position by taping or other suitable means.

The container described above is particularly adapted for hanging and/ or storing garments, as it may be made tall enough to receive the full length of overcoats, house robes, and other long garments without the lower hems thereof being in contact with the bottom wall surface of the container; and yet permit facile arrangement of the garments so that they will not become wrinkled. In order that the garments may be placed on hangers and then placed in the container, the container is provided 3. with a hanger rod 35-which extends from side to side of the container adjacent the upper end thereof leaving suflicicnt space so that the hanger hook may be placed over the rod. This hanger rod 35 may be attached to the side panels in any suitable way. As illustrated, the hanger rod is made of sheet metal. A metal strip is bent into an inverted U-shape which makes a very rigid supporting rod for the garments. At each end of the rod is a supporting bracket 36. There is a similar sup porting bracket at each end of the rod and only one bracket is shown in detail. The bracket is madeof sheet metal and includes at its inner side a fiat depending member 37. The end of the hanger rod 35 abuts the inner face of this member 37 and is welded thereto. There is an outer member 38- which is spaced from the inner member and is made integral therewith by the bridging member 39.

The flaps at the upper ends of the side panel are cut to provide openings for the supporting brackets. The flaps are cut along a line 41 spaced from the score line 22 but parallel thereto (see Fig. 1). They are also cut at the ends thus providing sections 42 which are folded,

down onto the inner face of the associated side member. The brackets are placed so that the outer member 38 extends down along the outer face of the side panel and the inner member extends down along the inner face of the cut out section 42. This makes a very rigid support for the hanger rod and. also supports the side panels from collapsing either inwardly or outwardly. The hanger rod, can have small raised portions33 at spaced intervals which prevents the supporting hooks of the hangers from sliding along the rod and bunching up at one end thereof.

The shape of the upper edge of the lower panel 20, and its distance from the bottom wall surface is such that the packer can reach and adjust the lower parts of long garments by access through the opening above such edge.

The packing space beneath the access opening may be used for packing shoes and other articles of wearing apparel andthey will be maintained out of contact with the garments on the hangers as the container is packed and unpacked while. standingon its bottom end and shipped and stored while on said end.

After the container is packed and the swinging section closed and secured to the narrow strip the front panel is firmly held against inward collapsing. The container may be readily opened by releasing and swinging the upper front panel to open position, the garments removed and replaced and the swinging section closed and held in closed position by a short piece of adhesive tape or other suitable means. It is understood that taping may be used in the usual manner for sealing the container.

The improved container without the hanger rod is suitable for packing, shipping or storing many types of merchandise. Itmay be made of large capacity and of a height much greater than the normal reach of a packer as the access to the packing space is had through this opening formed by the upper swinging front panel sections. In order that the merchandise may be placed in an orderly manner, the portion of the packing space beneath the access opening should not have a depth greater. than the normal reach of a packer.

It isobvious that minor changes in details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A fiber board upright wardrobe container comprising side panels, a rear panel and a front panel, one of the side panels being integrally connected to the front panel and the other side panel having a. narrow strip of fiber board formed integral therewith and lying in a plane parallel to the front panel, said front panel being cut to provide upper and lower front panel sections, said lower section overlying and secured to said narrow strip, said upper section of the front panel. being swingable to provide an access opening for packing and overlying and contacting said strip when in closed position, said panels having at the ends thereof flaps placed in lapped relation and secured together to provide bottom and top closures for the container, the top flaps of the side panels having openings located adjacent the upper edges of the side panels said container having a rod extending from one side panel to the other and having at its ends fixedly supporting elements extending through the openings of the said top fiaps of the side panels and including depending members with the container and connected to the ends of the rod, top bridging members resting on the upper edges of the side panels, and outer members engaging the outer surfaces of the side panels, said rod providing support for garment hangers.

2. A fiber board upright container comprising side panels, a rear panel and a front panel, one of the side panels being integrally connected to the, front panel and the other side panel having a-narrow strip of fiber board formed integral therewith and lying in a plane parallel to the front panel, said front panel being ,cut to provide upper and lower front panel sections, said lower section overlying and secured to said narrow strip, said upper section of the front panelbeing swingable to provide an access opening for packing and overlying and contacting said strip when inclosed position, said panels having at the lower ends thereof flaps placed in lapped relation and secured together to provide a bottom closure for the container, said side panels having integral top flaps attheir upper edges with the flaps lying in a common plane at the upper end of the container, said panel top flaps having openings extending from the upper edges of the side panels, and a hanger rod extending across the container below said plane and having at its ends supporting elements includinginner members extending along the inner surfaces of the side panels and outer members extending along the outer surfaces of the side panels and bridging members extending throughthe said openings and engaging the upper edges of the side panels for supporting the hanger rod therefrom, said rod and ele ments being effective to support the side panels against collapsing inwardly or outwardly, said front and rear panels havingtop flaps lying in a common plane overlying the said side panel top flaps.

3. A container as in claim 2, in which the said sid panel top flaps are cutal'ong lines extending from the upper edges ofthe side panels to provide sections which can be folded down against the side panels and thereby providesaid openings in said top flaps, said sections in folded position being located between the said inner and outer members and providing support for the bridging members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

